RAILWAY SIGNALLING

Welcome to the signal box, do
come in.

OK, so you've come in. Do you realise that is an infringement of
Rule 72 (a)? You didn't? Never mind, you can learn about things like that on
these pages.

This web site is all about railway signalling. Its primary purpose
is to describe the principles behind railway signalling in Great Britain, but
some coverage of signalling around the world will also be found. The emphasis
is on the older, mechanical signalling - that worked by mechanical levers and
with semaphore signals. More detailed information on modern and foreign
signalling will often be found elsewhere on the web.

This web site has developed from a desire to record in an orderly and
easily understood manner the quantities of information that I have learnt
during the last forty years - much of which has only been stored in my
head!

You will find here descriptions and illustrations of signals,
explanations of the rules and regulations, photographs, historic articles,
reminiscences, museum and book lists, a monthly quiz, classified
advertisements, sources of software (including downloads), links to other sites
with signalling interest, and much more. Have a stroll around. Whether you have
a deep interest in signalling or just a passing interest, there is lots here to
look through.

You can click on the links below to reach the pages you want to visit,
or navigate by clicking on the badges at the top and bottom of each main
page. Enjoy!

John Hinson

THIS HOME PAGE
- click here if you are stuck in a frame within somebody else's site.

SIGNALS - illustrations of
British signals and descriptions of their function.

BLOCK SYSTEM - a blow by blow
breakdown of the principles of Absolute Block.

BRANCH LINES - a selection of
articles on signalling matters contributed by a range of authors.

PHOTO GALLERY - photographs of
British signal boxes and their equipment.

MUSEUMS & PUBS - a list of places
where you can see signalling equipment on display.

RAILWAY COMPANIES &
CONTRACTORS- A comprehensive listing of railway companies detailing the
types of signal box and frames used. The list also includes a set of standard
abbreviations used around this site.

SECTION C - recent and forthcoming
alterations to signalling in the UK, edited by Nick Allsop.

SIGNAL LINKS - some useful links to
other sites of railway signalling interest

The web site is updated from time to time, and continues to grow. Will
it ever be complete? Probably not. The content is primarily historical
- even where more modern signalling systems are touched on, it should
be understood that the descriptions are unlikely to reflect current Rules
& Regulations. I do not plan, as some readers imagine, to put a photograph
of every British signal box on this site - I only show examples of the
different architecture and equipment.

Additional information is always welcomed, and some contributors have
provided entire articles for the site. However, the large amount of material
received sometimes means that I cannot publish it immediately.